Every fall, when parents send their children to school, they do so with big dreams and aspirations for their children’s future. This is especially true for immigrant parents whose own opportunities were limited. I know this as a first-generation Mexican American whose parents had only a third- and sixth-grade education. My dad never learned to read, so he was stuck in low-wage jobs, couldn’t read a bank statement, and was unable to help us with school. His struggles reinforced his big aspirations for me.
Thousands of parents in California continue to face similar challenges.They count on schools to teach their children to read so they can keep learning, succeed in school, and break free from poverty. In California only 3 out of 10 low-income Latino children are reading at grade level in third grade. Only 2 out of 10 low-income Black children read at grade level. For English learners (ELs), who make up 25% of the state’s K-3 students, the data is just as troubling.
These disparities reveal a major social justice issue with long-term implications: kids who are struggling to read by the end of third grade rarely catch up, and they arefour times less likely to graduate high school. This number increases to eight times less likely if the student is economically disadvantaged.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Experts who study language development, literacy, neuroscience, and psychology have found that almost all children, including ELs, can learn to read if equipped with the right resources and supports aligned to the collective body of research known as the “science of reading.” This includes explicit, systematic instruction and practice in phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency; robust instruction and practice of vocabulary, language and reading comprehension; as well as oral language skills and content knowledge through speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Unfortunately, many California public schools’ literacy instructional approach doesn’t reflect the science of how children best learn to read.
Our commitment at Families In Schools – whose legacy work is early literacy – is to support parents in their quest for a better education for their children. It is then no surprise that we would co-sponsor Assembly Bill 2222, introduced by Asm. Blanca Rubio, an early literacy bill that could dramatically change the trajectory for thousands of children – including English learners.
What is a surprise, however, is the fierce opposition from groups who advocate for English learners.
Some critics of AB 2222 have mistakenly claimed it won’t be good for English learners. But the bill does exactly what EL advocates are calling for: it views the “science of reading” as a broad, comprehensive research base that recognizes the important interconnections among knowledge, language and literacy. It supports findings on effective instruction for English learners within that research. And it gives teachers tools through professional development and training to leverage the rich linguistic and cultural assets that English learners bring to school.
Recently, Families In Schools surveyed over 655 LAUSD parents. Almost all (99%) said that reading skills are “extremely” or “very” important for their child’s success in school, college, and the workplace. Ninety-six percent, including parents of English learners, favor requiring schools to incorporate evidence-based practices for reading instruction. Several states have already done this, with positive impacts. In fact, Texas and Mississippi now have the highest percentage of ELs reading proficiently on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test for eighth-graders. California could do the same.
California’s reading crisis is an urgent but solvable problem. Parents need the Legislature to act now, and AB 2222 is our best chance to accelerate progress. If we don’t say “yes” to AB 2222, we will be saying “no” to what children deserve and parents desperately want: the opportunity for all children to reach their dreams and aspirations.
Yolie Flores is a former school board member in Los Angeles and is the CEO of Families in Schools, a nonprofit organization that works with low-income, immigrant, and communities of color to ensure families can effectively advocate for their children’s education.